Car-switching mechanism.



PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

Nol '862,395.

A. HECTOR. CAR SWITGHING MEGHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 24, 1907. 2 SHEETSHEBTL QM ma@ No. 862,395. iPATENTE'D AUG. 6, `1907.

A- HECTOR. CAR SWITCHING MEGHANISM.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 2L, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 42.

WITNESSES:

. BY v ATTORNEYV EiTEn STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

ANDRE HECTOR, OF EAST NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHNWILLIAM REID AND ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM BARDSLEY, BOTH OF KEARNY, NEW

JERSEY.

CAR-SWITCHING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDRE HECTOR, a citizen of Great Britain, and aresident of East Newark, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Switching Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in carswitching mechanism, andconsists in the novel fea- `tures and combinations of parts hereinafterdescribed,

and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is, more particularly, to produce a simpleand efficient means for directing cars and the like from one to anotherpair of connecting rails at a switching point without the use of movableswitches or parts on the road-bed.

In the accompanying drawings I illustrate my invention in connectionwith a main and branch line for trolley car service, and in carrying outmy invention I provide the truck with a vertically movable pilot,preferably in the form of a wheel, and the track rail at a curve orbranch with a groove into which said wheel, traveling in advance of thetruck wheels, may pass and by its engagement with the edges thereofcompel the truck to swivel in the proper direction to insure the passageof the truck and consequently of the car around said curve. The pilotwheel is adapted to travel upon the track rail and automatically enterthe groove or elongated recess therein whose walls cooperate with saidwheel in turning the truck in the proper direction. Preferably the pilotwheel will be equipped with a spring normally acting to drive the pilotwheel downwardly againstA and compel it to follow the track rail, andupon the car body will be applied any suitable mechanism for maintainingthe pilot wheel in an elevated position clear of the track rail exceptat such time as the car may be approaching a switch, when the pilotcontrolling mechanism will be released and the spring allowed to depressthe pilot wheel upon the track rail preparatory to the same entering thegroove therein for effecting the proper swiveling action of the truck.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed descriptionhereinafter presented', reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure I is a top view of a portion of a road-bed having a main and abranch line and embodying a portion of my invention; Fig. 2 is a centralvertical longitudinal section through a portion of a car and one of itstrucks, the latter being equipped with the pilot mechanism of myinvention to coperate with the track system shown in Fig. 1 andparticularly for directing the car from the main line rails onto thebranch rails at the switching point; Fig. 3 is a transverse section ofthe road bed on the dotted line 3-3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a sideelevation, partly in section, of a portion of a car equipped with apilot wheel and its mechanism embodying my invention, the pilot wheelbeing shown in its upper inoperative relation by solid lines and inits'lower operative position by dotted lines, the sectional portion ofthe track rail of Fig. 4 being centrally through the lower straight railshown in Fig. l, and the' pilot of Fig. 4 being intended to keep the cardirectly on the straight line rails when crossing the switching point;Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section through a portion of the same onthe dotted line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a detached horizontalsection on the dotted line 6 6 of Fig. 4 bf a portion of the mechanismfor operating the pilot wheel.

In the drawings, I0 designates a portion of a car of any suitableconstruction, ll one of the swiveling trucks thereof provided with theusual wheels 12, and I4 a pilot-wheel carried by the lower end of avertical rod 15 mounted within a bearing 16 at a corner of the truck inadvance of the wheel 12. The lower end of the rod l5 is bifurcated toreceive the wheel I4 and between the bearing 16 and the shoulder formedby its bifurcated portion, said rod has mounted upon it a coiled springI7 normally acting to press the wheel 14 downwardly upon the track rail.The pilot wheel 14 will, except when it is to be put into use, be heldclear of the track rail by any suitable means provided on the car forthat purpose, and in the present instance I secure to the upper end ofthe rod l5 a pivoted lever arm 18 extending forwardly below a segmentalplate 19 carried upon the lower end of a vertically movable rod 2O whichextends upwardly through the car flooring and is formed with a toe 2ladapted to be engaged by a short arm formed at the lower end of a handlever 22. The tension of the spring 17 maintains the lever arm I8against the segmental plate 19, as shown in Fig. 2, and

, when it is desired to elevate the pilot wheel 14 from the track rail,the lever 22 is pulled to depress the rod 20 and plate 19 and therebythrough said plate effect the depression of the front end of the lever18, which turning on its pivot 23 will move the rod I5 and wheel 14upwardly to the position shown by full lines in Fig. 4. The segmentalplate 19 is shown in top elevation in' Fig. 6 and it is of sufficientlength to enable the lever arm 18 to remain in contact with some portionof it at all times, whether the car-truck carrying said lever arm is inline with the body of the car or has swiveled at an angle thereto. Inorder to avoid undue friction between the lever v18 and plate 19 I formsaid lever with the roller 24 to contact with the lower surthe main linerails, and 31 the branch line rails leading therefrom at a switchingpoint, and the novel portion of this part of my invention resides in thefact that I dispense entirely with movable switches and the like and allof their accessories and simply provide the track rails with elongatedrecesses 32, 33 for coperation .With the pilot or pilots carried bythecar-trucks orthe car. The recess 32 is utilized in connection with thepilot wheel 14 for directing a car from the main line rails 30 onto andalong the curved rails 31, and said recess 32 is so disposed withrelation to the point of the frog 34 that it will receive the pilotwheel 14 before the front wheel 12 of the truck can reach the point oi'said frog, whereby the truck will become swiveled to follow the curveand the wheels thereof will be kept properly upon the tread of the railsand any danger oi the wheels striking the frogs obviated.

When a car intended to take the branch-line rails and carrying the pilotwheel 14 is approaching a switching point the motorman or otherattendant on the car will release the operating lever 22 and permit thespring 17 to depress said pilot wheel upon the track rail, in thisinstance upon therail 30 represented at the upper right hand side oiFig. 1, and the car continuing in motion the said pilot wheel will enterthe elongated recess 32, whose edges, due to the curvature of saidrecess and their engagement with said pilot wheel, vwill force the cartruck to swivel and the truck wheels to take the branch rails 31,thereby directing the car from the main rails 30 upon the said branchrails. After the car has passed beyond the switching point the attendanton the car will, with the use of the lever 22, depress the rod 20against the lever 18 and cause the latter to elevate the pilot wheel 14clear of the track-rail, said wheel remaining in its elevated positionuntil the car shall reach another switching point and the use of saidwheel again become necessary. I illustrate only a portion of the carbody and only one car truck, but usually two car trucks are placed belowa car and in all such instances each truck will be provided on a forwardcorner with a pilot wheel to take the elongated recess 32, so that bothcar trucks may be properly swiveled by said recess acting upon and withthe pilot wheels.

The recess 33 in the main track-rail 30 will be utilized in connectionwith a pilot wheel 14 applied at the iront right hand corner of thecar-truck or trucks (Fig. 4) for assuredly keeping the truck-wheels uponthe main tracks- 30 and preventing under any circumstances v the saidwheels from striking the points oi the frogs,

and said pilot wheel will be a duplicate of the pilot wheel 14 shown inFig. 2 and have a corresponding operation, with thc exception that theelongated recess 33 being straight the purpose ol said recess and itscooperating pilot wlieel will be to keep the car-truck straight andassure its correct 'travel on the main track rails 30.

The more essential feature ol my invention is the provision of a piloton the car and a curved elongated recess in the track rail at aswitching point, so as to eltectually direct a moving car from the mainline onto the branch line without the employment oi movable switches andtheir accessories at said point. The pilot wheel may be duplicated attheour corners oi the truck or at the iour corners of the car inaccordance with the conditions that may be met, and I have illustratedthe pilot wheel at the forward left hand corner oi the truck shown inFig. 2 as an illustration of the invention and for the purpose oiexplaining the manner in which said one pilot wheel may direct the carfrom the main rails 30 onto the branch rails without the use of movableswitch members on the road bed. It is very desirable however that thecartruck be provided at its forward end with a pilot wheel 14 forcoperation with the straight recess 33 so that the car-truck may be keptstraight upon the rails 30 and all tendency to strike the points of thefrogs, at the switching point, be avoided, and therefore I haveillustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 the pilot wheel as being on the forwardleft hand corner of the car truck oi a car intended to remain on themain line rails 30.

As hereinbeiore indicatedy I do not limit the invention to any speciallever mechanism for operating the pilot wheel 14. The handle 22 will bethrown in one direction by the action of the spring 17 and will becomearrested beforethe tension oi the spring 17 becomes entirely relieved,so that the wheel 14 may-roll on the track-rail with some firmness andunder a yielding pressure. The attendant on the car will pull the handle22 toward himself, when it is desired to depress e the forward end oithe lever 18, and elevate the pilot wheel 14, and the handle 22 whenthus pulled by the attendant on the car will be maintained in theposition given to it by any suitable means that 'may be provided for thepurpose, the only object being to lock the handle 22 so that when it isreleased by the attendant,.the spring 17 may.not immediately return itto the position shown in Fig. 2.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is:-

1. In car directing mechanism, a rail having at a. switching point inthe track system, an elongated recess, combined with a pilot carried bythe car in advance of the wheels thereof, and means for elevating anddepressing said pilot toward and from said rail, said pilot beingdisposed on the vertical plane of said rail and adapted when depressedtov ride on thesanie and into'said recess and by its engagement with thewalls thereof cause the car wheels to follow the direction defined bysaid recess substantially as set forth.

2. In ear directing mechanism, a rail having at a switching point in thetrack system an elongated recess, combined with a pilot carried by thecar in advance of the Wheels thereof, a spring for depressing said pilotupon said rail, and means for elevatingrthe same therefrom, said pilotbeing disposed on the vertical plane of said rail and adapted whendepressed to ride on the same and into said recess and by its engagementwith the Walls thereof cause the car wheels to follow the directiondefined by said recess; substantially as set forth.

3. In car directing mechanism, a rail having at a switching point in thetrack system an elongated recess', a car having a swiveling truck, apilot carried by said truck in -advance of the Wheels thereof, and meansfor elevating and depressing said pilot toward and from said rail, saidpilot being disposed on the vertical plane of said rail and adapted whendepressed to ride on the same and into said recess and by its engagementWith the Walls thereof cause the car Wheels to follow the directiondefined by said recess; substantially as set forth.

4. In car directing mechanism, a rail having at a switching point in thetrack system an elongated recess, a car having a swiveling truck, apilot carried by said truck in advance of the Wheels thereof, a springfor depressing said pilot upon said rail, and means for elevating thesame therefrom, said pilot being disposed on the vertical plane of saidrail and adapted when'depressed to ride on the same and into said recessand by its engagement with the walls thereof cause the car wheels tofollow the direction defined by said recess; substantially as set forth.

5. In car directing mechanism, a rail having at a switching point in thetrack system an elongated recess, combined with a-pllot carried by thecar in advance of the car wheels and in the form of a vertically movablerod having on its lower end a Wheel, and means for elevating anddepressing said pilot toward and from said rail, said pilot beingdisposed on the vertical plane of said rail and adapted when depressedto ride on the same and into said recess and by its engagement with theWalls thereof cause the car Wheels to follow the direction defined bysaid recess; substantially as set forth.

G. In car directing mechanism, a rail having at a switching point in thetrack system an elongated recess, combined With a pilot carried by thecar in advance of the car wheels and in the form of a vertically movablerod having on its lower end a wheel, a-spring for depressing said pilotupon said rail, and means on the car for elevating the same therefrom,said pilot being disposed on the vertical plane of said rail and adaptedWhen depressed to ride on the same and into said recess and by itsengagement With the Walls thereof cause the car wheels to follow thedirection defined by said recess; substantially as set forth.

7. In car directing mechanism, a track system comprising a main line anda curved line branching therefrom and one of the curved rails of thebranch line having an elongated curved recess at the switching point, acar having a swiveling truck, a pilot mounted on said truck in advanceof the wheels thereof, and means for elevating and depressing said pilottoward and from said curved recessed rail and comprising a spring forholding said pilot with a yielding pressure against said rail, saidpilot being disposed on the vertical plane of said rail and adapted whendepressed to ride on the same and into said recess and by its engagementwith the Walls thereof cause the car Wheels to follow the directiondeiined by said recess; substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, this 23rd day of January A. D. 1907.

ANDRE lIECTOR.

Witnesses z CHAs. C. Ginn, ANNA V. BnoDnmck.

